Church gets huge response after offering help on Facebook

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It started with a Facebook post offering help cleaning up after Hurricane Irma. Now members of the BridgePoint Church are zig-zagging across the Tyrone area, downtown St. Pete and Seminole, helping families who need a hand cleaning up following the storm.

“We just keep getting phone calls,” said volunteer and BridgePoint Church member Brittany Tomilonus. “We just make it happen.”

At a stop off 8th Avenue North, one of the teams begins clearing the yard of a man recently diagnosed with cancer.

Church members say their visit comes with not just the free labor, but a chance to spend time with people who care.

“To be like Jesus, we’re meeting a physical need and then we’re there to pray with them and meet the spiritual need,” said Tomilonus.

The jobs are big and small.

Nick Kourchenko arrived home after helping others to find the team of church members helping his neighbors and gladly accepted help removing a huge branch from on top of his garage.

“I wouldn’t have gotten up there and gotten that by myself. I’m kind of floored,” said Kourchenko. "I’ve been doing this for a lot of other people after the storm and then I came home by myself, and wow… here’s the payback.”

Church members say its reactions like that making their work so rewarding.

“When people are in need, they are surprised when people are willing to help them and not ask for money or need something in return,” said volunteer Trevor Lovingood.

“It means there’s still good people out there,” said Kourchenko. “It’s very cool and heartwarming.”